How to Stop Snoring using home remedies?

A report from National Sleep Foundation, tells that approximately 90 million American adults snore sometimes, and 37 million people snore regularly. It gets very annoying to see someone snoring every time they sleep. Thankfully there are some natural ways, which may help a person’s snoring habits. Check the following.

Try to lose weight

You may have noticed that overweight individuals are more likely to snore. It is due to the fatty tissue and poor muscle tone around the throat that causes them to snore. In this case, following a healthy diet and regular exercise may help to lose and maintain a weight.

Try sleeping on one side

The chances of snoring increase when a person lay on his back, which may cause the tongue to move to the back of your throat. Due to this breathing becomes harder and air vibration causes snoring. If you try to sleep on one side, it will allow the airflow to be smooth. This reduces the chances for air vibrations causing snoring.

Do not smoke

While trying to improve your health, it is better to quit smoking. The fumes of smoke irritate the airway and induce snoring. When a person stops smoking, the snoring habit is controlled.

No more alcohol

If you are taking a significant amount of alcohol, it will relax the throat muscles. When the muscles are relaxed, the chances to vibrate get more. Take a hold of your daily consumption; also avoid taking alcohol before going to the bed.

Elevating your head while sleeping

Elevating the head may require an additional pillow. In this way, it allows opening the airways, which reduce the occurrence of snoring. There are special pillows designed to prevent snoring. You may buy one from your nearest store.

Control the allergens

If you are sensitive to anything, try to avoid it especially before going to bed. An allergic reaction may sometimes lead to nasal congestion that blocks your airways. It causes snoring and makes regular snoring go worse. When allergies are causing snoring, the only effective treatment is to take an anti-allergy medicine.

Try vestibular shield

A vestibular shield is a device that is worn in the mouth. It prevents the mouth to open during sleep. It also encourages the person to breathe through the nose and not mouth while sleeping.

Nasal sprays

In case of blocked nasal passage, using a nasal spray may also help. Nasal sprays reduce the inflammation in the nose and air pipe. These nasal sprays are easy to find and usually don’t require a prescription.

Medical treatments for excessive snoring

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP is a treatment that requires a general anesthesia. It removes all or some part of the following.

The fleshy part at the back of your throat called uvula

Soft palate in the mouth

Tonsils

UPPP widen the middle part of your throat. Usually, narrowing of this area cause snoring.

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty or LAUP is a minor surgical process than Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). However, the patient may still require local or general anesthesia based on his condition.

The Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty uses a laser to reduce the size of the soft palate and uvula. This technique also widens the middle part of the throat. The doctor only based on patient’s condition suggests this treatment.

The operation for palatal stiffening

Electrical cautery is also called a palatal stiffening operation. In this procedure, the doctor burns the soft palate to stiffen it. It is only effective against snoring when snoring is only caused by the soft palate blocking the airway. It doesn’t help when there is any other reason behind it.

Septoplasty

Septoplasty is a type of surgery to correct a deviated septum. Sometimes the deviated septum affects the air flow to the nose and causes excessive snoring.

Injection snore-plasty

This is a surgical procedure, which is effective, and safe for treating snoring caused by soft palate. In injection Snoreplasty, a chemical is injected into the soft palate which breaks down the tissue and reduces its size. It is less severe than all other surgeries for snoring.

When should you see a doctor?

Following are the cases in which you need to talk to a doctor as soon as possible.

The author is a Medical Microbiologist and a healthcare writer. She is a post-graduate of Medical Microbiology and Immunology with distinction. She is an author of six research papers and currently working as a research associate in a Research Lab.